Greenberg Traurig Represents Linde AG as Health Regulatory Counsel in its Agreement to Acquire Lincare Holdings Inc.

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--International law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP represented Linde AG, a publicly held company headquartered in Munich, Germany, as health regulatory counsel in its $4.6 billion acquisition of Lincare Holdings Inc., a Clearwater, Florida-based home health care company. Lincare Holdings Inc. provides home-based respiratory and related services and equipment to more than 800,000 customers in the United States and Canada, making it one of the largest such providers in the U.S.

“We were pleased to represent Linde AG in an acquisition that further expands the company’s presence in the health care supply business in North America”

Greenberg Traurig’s team for Linde AG was led by William B. Eck, a Shareholder in the firm’s Health & FDA Business practice. Working with him were, Of Counsel Miki Kolton and Law Clerk Danielle White of the Washington D.C. office, Shareholder Steven Lapidus and Associate Michael Einig of the Miami office and Shareholder Todd Wozniak of the Atlanta office.

Greenberg Traurig advised on health care licensing and permitting, compliance and due diligence matters involving several agencies including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Medicare and Medicaid. The firm also advised on tax issues and labor and employment matters. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2012.

“We were pleased to represent Linde AG in an acquisition that further expands the company’s presence in the health care supply business in North America,” said Eck.

The Linde Group, founded in 1879, is a gases and engineering company with approximately 50,500 employees working in more than 100 countries worldwide. In the 2011 financial year, it achieved sales of EUR 13.787 billion.

The following is a link to a press release about this transaction: http://www.the-linde-group.com/en/news_and_media/press_releases/news_120630.html

Greenberg Traurig's Health & FDA Business Group provides strategic legal counsel to a diverse group of companies and organizations including hospitals and nursing homes, health care suppliers, provider networks, physicians and physician groups, laboratories, medical device manufacturers and financial institutions. With 60 attorneys across the globe, this dedicated health care and FDA team is experienced in the areas of legislation and policy, fraud and abuse, HIPAA and regulatory compliance, joint ventures, mergers, acquisitions, sales and reorganizations, licensing, reimbursement and program compliance, managed care and insurance, among others.

About Greenberg Traurig, LLP

Greenberg Traurig, LLP is an international, full-service law firm with approximately 1750 attorneys serving clients from 35 offices in the United States, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. In the U.S., the firm has more offices than any other among the Top 10 on The National Law Journal’s 2012 NLJ 250. For additional information, please visit www.gtlaw.com.